Ancient skills hold the key to a more sustainable world

At a time with of rapid technology changes, it is easy to forget about ancient skills that have been refined across generations. But a new wave is emerging known as crafts-led innovation. This growing movement draws on centuries-old craft knowledge that can help to tackle today’s sustainability. Challenges. ekip´s Policy Lab identified several critical challenges.

Craft is often viewed as “non-innovative” or “non-professional” in policy and public discourse. Why is it so?

”First of all, the misconception that crafts are ’a thing of the past’, is still strongly rooted in collective imaginaries about crafts. Innovation is instead connected to something new, contemporary, that stands in contrast to crafts as a thing of the past.”

That says Ruxanda Lupu who took part in the Policy Lab on craft-led innovation. She has a double education in printmaking and economy. Ruxandra Lupu´s experience working at the intersection of research and industry has given her a front-row seat covering misunderstandings like these.

ONGOING CULTURAL PROGRESS

While crafts are often lumped together with hobbies or heritage tourism, she argues that they reflect ongoing cultural and technological progress.

“Crafts have evolved alongside society. They are not frozen in time,” she explains. “Yet most policies fail to position crafts within the creative economy at the same level of industries like design, animation, or digital media.”

Ruxandra Lupu warns that treating crafts as sector needing constant support—rather than a productive contributor to the economy—reinforces this gap. In countries with strong Craft Councils or lobbying structures, she notes, this misalignment is less obvious, proving that institutional recognition plays a crucial role.

“Although the contribution of the creative industry to local economies is well acknowledged, crafts are rarely mentioned, in contrast to high-growth sectors such as film, creative tech, animation etc.”

A BLUEPRINT FOR SUSTAINABILITY

As the world turns to ideas like de-growth—where success isn’t measured by endless production—crafts could offer a blueprint for more sustainable, meaningful ways of making and living.

“I believe our mentality needs to change with respect to considering crafts as outdated activities. This includes letting go of stereotypes that position the flourishing of crafts back in the past and acknowledge the great role that material knowledge occupies within crafts.”

True craftsmanship, Ruxandra Lupu argues, goes beyond technical skill. It’s about developing a deep, intuitive relationship with materials—knowing how to work with their possibilities rather than being limited by them.

Craftspeople know the value of their skills but rarely frame it as “added value.” For many, this expertise is second nature, something lived rather than talked about. The real challenge is making space for that expertise to be seen and appreciated more widely.

“What I believe is missing instead is a capacity of craftspeople disseminate knowledge and competencies especially when it comes to their importance in a contemporary and future-oriented context.”

THE TACIT KNOWLEDGE

Artisans tacitly held knowledge, that is difficult to articulate in words, is the focus of Ruxandra Lupu´s Marie Curie-funded research project, SOMAS, at the University of Cyprus. There, she works with textile artisans to make their sustainability knowledge more visible through practice-based mapping and metaphorical storytelling.

“It’s about helping audiences tap into the creative universe of artisans—how they think about materials, waste, and the environment.”

EDUCATION AND YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

Changing perceptions starts with education. Ruxandra Lupu points to examples in Germany, where dual diplomas combining academic study with craft training are being piloted.

“We need families, schools, and policymakers to stop seeing crafts as a fallback for those who aren’t ‘smart enough’ for other careers. Crafts are valuable, future-facing professions.”

She highlights projects like Norway’s open Viking boatbuilding site, where anyone—from children to adults—can try their hand at woodworking.

“Helping young people reconnect with making is key to sparking lifelong interest in crafts.”

CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE

One of the greatest challenges in craft research today is the widening gap between theory and practice. While academic studies increasingly frame craft through abstract theories, they risk losing sight of the real, hands-on work happening in workshops and studios.

This disconnect can blur the true meaning of crafts-led innovation, reducing it to general ideas about creativity while overlooking craft’s unique processes and materials.

“In Estonia, universities are starting to address this by integrating craft practice into research, grounding academic thinking in the realities of making, not the other way around,” Ruxandra Lupu notes.

Another challenge is the narrow view of innovation as purely technology-driven. True innovation can also emerge from hands-on practice—through materials, processes, and new ways of thinking beyond technology alone.

”I often believe that the commonly held view that craftspeople tend to shy away from technology is erroneous. What they tend to reject is an imposed vision according to which they have to use new tech such as 3D printing, laser cutting and so on, at any cost, in order to ‘modernize’ their practices.”

Ruxandra Lupu argues that innovation happens at the intersection of tacit crafts knowledge and technology through innovative thinking and experimentation rather than through blindly adopting new tech just to follow the trend.

CULTURAL VALUE AND POLICY

Madina Benvenuti, who also took part in the Policy Lab, is the founder and Managing Director of Mad’in Europe and bring a strong European perspective shaped by professional experience across several EU countries in media, communication, and cultural cooperation.

“This has given me a nuanced understanding of how narratives influence cultural value and policy. At Mad’in Europe, I lead efforts to support and promote the traditional crafts sector, bridging grassroots knowledge with European-level advocacy together.”

Their work spans visibility campaigns, stakeholder engagement, and policy influence through major EU-funded projects such as CRAFTOUR (Horizon Europe), BRICKS (on validating non-formal education in crafts), and MINDCRAFTS (engaging youth in traditional building crafts).”

Mad’in Europe strongly advocate for a culture compass that fully includes crafts, recognising them not just as heritage but also as a source of meaningful, sustainable employment and territorial development.

Craftsmanship, Madina Benvenuti argues, has long embodied the sustainability values now championed by environmental movements.

“Working with local materials, reducing waste, and producing long-lasting goods—these practices have existed for centuries and offer models for low-impact economies that strengthen both communities and ecosystems.”

“Working with local materials, reducing waste, and producing long-lasting goods—these practices have existed for centuries and offer models for low-impact economies that strengthen both communities and ecosystems,”says Madina Benvenuti.

HARNESSING DIGITAL TOOLS FOR PRESERVATION AND ACCESS

Digital technology, when used thoughtfully, can support rather than replace craft traditions.

“For instance,in the CRAEFT project we´re using motion capture technology with anthropologists to record the physical gestures of craftspeople—preserving not just what is made, but how it is made,” says Madina Benvenuti. “This opens new possibilities for training and knowledge transfer.”

CHALLENGING POWER IMBALANCES

Despite these advances, systemic power imbalances remain a barrier. Craftspeople often work as micro-entrepreneurs with little access to legal protections or formal recognition. Their knowledge is at risk of being exploited without fair compensation.

Craftspeople are too often treated as suppliers of authenticity, rather than equal partners warns Madina Benvenuti.

“Our projects promote fair, transparent collaboration models to ensure their voices are heard and their contributions respected. Young generations are not aware about the variety of opportunities crafts may represent for them, and do not realise how much they can contribute to their revitalisation.”

BUILDING A UNIFIED EUROPEAN STRATEGY

One of the biggest hurdles is the fragmented nature of the craft sector across Europe. Mad’in Europe’s multilingual platform aims to unite craftspeople under one digital roof, making their work accessible to a global audience.

“With CRAFTOUR, we’re creating a standardised framework to understand and support crafts across Europe. This is a first step toward a pan-European strategy that recognises crafts not just as heritage, but as a living, innovative sector.”

CRAFTING THE FUTURE, SUSTAINABLY

As industries and policymakers search for sustainable solutions, crafts offer more than nostalgia—they offer a blueprint for human-centered, environmentally conscious production. By bridging tradition and innovation, theory and practice, and local and global scales, crafts are proving they are anything but stuck in the past.

“Craftspeople have always been at the forefront of novelty,” Ruxandra Lupu reminds us. “We just need to start recognizing it.”

THE LAB IDENTIFIED SEVERAL CRITICAL CHALLENGES FACING THE SECTOR, INCLUDING:

• Outdated perceptions that undervalue crafts’ potential as innovative forces. Crafts are often mistakenly viewed as slow, labor-intensive, and primarily heritage-based rather than dynamic and open to modern innovation frameworks.
• Educational gaps were also highlighted, with participants pointing out limited opportunities for craftspeople to develop essential skills in innovation, digital competencies, entrepreneurship, and business management.
• Additionally, the absence of robust and sustainable funding models and infrastructures inhibits growth and collaboration, while restrictive regulations can unnecessarily confine crafts practices strictly to heritage preservation, stifling contemporary innovation and experimentation.

Participants agreed on the necessity of a clear EU-level vision that embraces a multidimensional understanding of crafts, highlighting their economic, cultural, and social value.